1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic systems and more particularly to a system and method for utilizing tracking to identify reactions to content.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic systems, particularly entertainment and gaming systems, a user typically controls the behavior or actions of at least one character in a game program. The users' perspective, as determined by the camera angle, varies depending on a variety of factors, including hardware restrictions, such as the processing power of the system. In games with two-dimensional graphics, typical user perspectives include a top-down view (or “helicopter” view), where the user views the game from a third-person perspective, and a side-scrolling view, where the user views the characters from a third-person perspective as they move across the screen from left to right. These perspectives require lower levels of detail, and thus, require lower processing power from the processing units of the system.
In games with three-dimensional graphics, typical user views include a fixed 3D view, where the objects in the foreground are updated in real time against a static background, and the perspective of the user remains fixed, a first-person view (i.e., the user views the game from the perspective of a game character), and third-person view, where the user views the game character from a distance away from the game character, such as above or behind the character. The views depend on the sophistication of the camera system of a game. Three types of camera systems are typically used: a fixed camera system, a tracking camera system that follows the game character, and an interactive camera system that allows the user to control the camera angle.
Although the three-dimensional perspectives are more realistic for the user, they require more processing power, and, thus, the level of detail in rendering can suffer as a result of the drain in processing power to create the three-dimensional view.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for improving the balance between providing rendering detail and conservation of processing power by tracking where the user focuses his attention during game play.